The Honourable Karina Gould Minister of Democratic Institutions for the CSE 2019 Cyber Threat update

Good morning

I would like to thank Chief Shelly Bruce and my colleague Minister Sajjan for being here today.

I want to begin by saying that nothing is more important to the Government of Canada than protecting our democracy and ensuring that our next election is fair and free and secure

When I became Minister of Democratic Institutions, I asked the Communications Security Establishment to create and make public a full assessment of potential cyber threats to Canada’s democratic process.

It was essential that the information be public so that all Canadians could get a true sense of the threats they may face as they exercise their democratic rights.

Released in 2017, the report, Cyber Threats to Canada’s Democratic Process, granted Canadians unprecedented access to information about an evolving threat environment.

We are here today to discuss the 2019 update to that report in preparation for the General Election this fall.  

Things change rapidly in cyberspace. It is crucial that Canadians be aware of emerging trends, potential targets and methods favoured by bad actors.

We anticipate that nefarious cyber activity targeting voters, elections infrastructure, and Canada’s politicians and political parties may be more sophisticated, more coordinated and more determined.

Since the publication of the 2017 report, democracies around the world have seen concerted efforts to create disruption, sow division and generate disengagement or polarization during election cycles

Such malicious activity strikes at the heart of trust. It threatens to erode faith in democratic institutions.

Canada, as a G7 nation, a member of the Five Eyes community, a NATO member, a respected international voice for human rights and the rule of law, makes it a tempting target for those who seek to tarnish or tear down a vibrant democracy.

This report fortifies the Government of Canada’s already solid, multi-faceted effort to safeguard our elections. Our plan announced earlier this year works to identify, assess and respond to potential threats.

We recognise that we cannot prevent all threats but we can reduce their impact.

Which is why I want to remind Canadians that you, the voter, are the most important part of that ongoing effort to keep our democratic processes safe and secure. It is essential to remain aware, engaged and informed.

I encourage Canadians to study this update and urge them to take action to become critical consumers of information and users of cyberspace.

Should something happen, that is serious enough to threaten the integrity of the elections, Canadians must know about it. 

The Critical Election Incident Public Protocol is a clear and impartial mechanism to respond to incidents that could undermine our ability to have a free and fair election. The more information Canadians have, the more informed their choices can be.

As you have heard me said before, there is an onus on social media and digital platforms to better protect the digital public square, by increasing efforts to prevent the malicious cyber-activity, including the spread of disinformation.

We have been engaging with these companies to tackle this challenge.

At all times we our working with our security and intelligence partners and studying global best practices to mitigate risk. We do not welcome malicious activity, but we are prepared to confront it.

Thank you. Merci.